中國送禮物要注意什么

文/夏洛特·愛德華茲-張譯/葛玉芳審訂/文軍

中國送禮物要注意什么

文/夏洛特·愛德華茲-張譯/葛玉芳審訂/文軍

在中國，贈禮方式與西方有所不同，區別主要在于生日、婚禮或春節等場合通常不送實物。

Gift giving in China is different from the West in that physical gifts are not usually given for birthdays, weddings or Spring Festival.

[2]現金，尤其是裝在紅色信封（又稱“紅包”）里的粉紅色百元大鈔最適合這些場合。小孩和長輩生日時最適合送紅包。

[2] Cash—specifically those oversized pink 100 yuan notes—placed in a red envelope, or “hóng bāo”, are the most fitting for those occasions. Giving money for birthdays is reserved for children and senior citizens.

[3]一年之中，中國即使沒有像西方一樣有那么多次禮物往來，但也還是有不少場合適合送禮物。

[3] So even though there’s not a lot of gift giving going on multiple times a year as there are in Western countries, there are plenty of times when gifts are appropriate.

[4]比如，如果要向朋友表示感謝、與朋友道別、見女友家人，或與中國同事談商業合作，那么就需要一份貼心的禮物。

[4] A thoughtful gift is great when you want to do something like thank a friend, say goodbye to someone, meet your girlfriend’s family members or meet with a Chinese associate to discuss a business partnership.

[5]其實，送禮物時有很多細節需要注意，這樣當你初次見女友的父親，或力求促成新的生意時才不至于失禮。

[5] With that said there are plenty of things to remember so that you don’t make a faux pas1faux pas失禮，失態。when you meet your girlfriend’s dad for the fi rst time or hope to seal the deal2seal the deal達成交易。on a hot business transaction.

贈禮須知

[6]思考該送什么的時候，謹記以下建議：

Gift giving dos and don’ts

[6] Keep these tips in mind as you’re considering what you’ll give:

[7]如果是一份很貴重的禮物，大可把價格標簽和收據放在里面。中國與大多數西方國家的做法不一樣，不必把價格標簽撕掉。

[7] Do feel free to leave price tags and receipts in the bags if it’s an expensive gift. Unlike how it’s practiced in most Western countries, you don’t have to peel off the price tag.

[8]我們舉辦小型婚宴的時候，先生突然讓我記下每位賓客給了多少錢，我驚訝得一時語塞。當時很多人給的紅包上都沒有任何標記，于是我趕緊從包里拿出筆匆匆記下每個人的名字和給的紅包金額。

[8] I was speechless when, at a small dinner to celebrate our marriage, my husband told me to remember how much money each person gave us. Many of them gave us unmarked red envelopes so I quickly found a pen in my purse so I could jot down names and numbers.

[9]回家后，他拿出一個小本子，認真地記下每位賓客的名字和他們給的紅包金額。之后，他們當中誰家新生了寶寶，或誰家的孩子高中畢業，我們都會拿出小本子看看，決定該包多大的紅包。

[9] At home he took out a small notebook and dutifully wrote down the name of each guest and how much they gave us. Since then, whenever one of those people has had a child or their child graduated from high school, we’ve consulted the book to see how much we need to give for the occasion.

[10]不必費心在禮物中附賀卡。賀卡在中國很少用，也很難找到，所以中國人不會期待禮物中附有賀卡。

[10] Don’t worry about including a card. Greeting cards are rarely used in China and hard to come by, so a Chinese person wouldn’t expect a card along with a gift.

[11]說實話，我在中國生活九年了，卻只在圣誕節時收到過學生送的賀卡。先生寫過為數不多的幾次情書，也送過幾次花，但每次他都只能自己動手做賀卡！

[11] I can honestly say that the only cards I’ve ever received, in nine years of living in China were Christmas cards from students. The few times my husband has written me a love note and given me fl owers, he’s had to make his own cards!

[12]送給對方禮物時，一定要雙手送上。用雙手送出和接過禮物才合乎禮儀。

[12] Do hold the gift in both hands when giving it to the recipient. Using both hands to give, and receive, gifts is proper etiquette.

挑選恰當的禮物

送給家人的禮物

[13]如果你要去見另一半的家人，不管是第一次還是尋常的拜訪，都要準備禮物。與另一半商量是個很好的方法，但如果對方也沒有什么好點子，不妨試試以下幾種禮物：

維生素和補品——對姻親或準姻親來說是非常好的禮物。中國人非常注重健康，也喜歡各種傳統藥品。所以，不妨送一些西洋參、草藥茶或高質量的綜合維生素。

食品籃或果籃——如果不知道該送什么，或者從未見過對方，那么裝滿美味進口水果的果籃不失為最佳選擇。如果你家鄉的某種食品特別出名，可以買一些帶上，作為禮物送人。

衣服——大學或家鄉附近旅游景區的運動衫或T恤是不錯的選擇。這種禮物更適合50歲以下的人，因為老年人的服裝幾乎只有灰色、深藍色和黑色三種。

芭比娃娃、樂高和棋盤游戲——這些禮物非常適合送給孩子。這三種在中國都不常見，即使能找到，價格也都奇貴。

Selecting the right gift

Gifts for family

[13] When you’re meeting your partner’s family, for the fi rst time or during a visit, a gift is expected. Discussing ideas with your partner is a great idea, but if they’re not a fountain of ideas, try some of these:

Vitamins and Supplements—These are great for in-laws or in-laws-to-be as Chinese are very health-conscious and love all sorts of traditional medicines and remedies. You might try giving American ginseng, herbal teas or a good-quality multivitamin.

Food/Fruit Baskets—Packed full of delicious and exotic fruits, baskets are the go-to3go-to（指對象）尋求協助的；征詢意見的。gift of choice if you have no idea what to give or if you’ve never met someone before. If your hometown is known for a special food, buy several to take along as gifts.

Clothing—Sweatshirts or t-shirts from a university or tourist area near your hometown are great options. These work better for people under 50 since senior citizens tend to have wardrobes4wardrobe（一個人的）全部衣物。that consist almost solely of gray, navy and black.

Barbies, Legos and Board Games—These are great choices for kids. All three are quite rare in China and super expensive when you do fi nd them.

送給朋友的禮物

[14]送給朋友的禮物可以不用像送給家人的那么貴重，但如果收到和送給家人相類似的重禮，朋友通常會很高興。

衣服——對籃球迷來說，無論年齡大小，運動服都是很好的禮物，尤其是對方最喜歡的NBA球隊隊服。

香水和乳液——香水在中國大陸越來越流行，所以我會囤Bath and Body Works的乳液和身體噴霧，該品牌有很多款淡淡的女性香水。但我一定不會送沐浴露和香皂，防止對方誤以為我在暗示他不注意衛生。

其他——折刀、難度適當的英文原著（前提是對方喜歡英語）、錢包、鑰匙鏈以及巧克力或咖啡一類的特色食品。

Gifts for friends

[14] With friends you’ll likely spend less money than you would on family, but the same type of gifts are generally appreciated.

Clothing—Sports apparel, especially if you know their favorite NBA team, is a good gift for basketball fans of all ages.

Perfume and Lotions—Fragrances are catching on in mainland China, so I like to stock up on lotions and body sprays from Bath and Body Works which offer many light feminine scents. I do avoid giving body wash or soap, lest they think I’m hinting that they need help in the hygiene department.

Other—Pocket knives, appropriate level books in English (if they’re interested in English), wallets, key chains, and specialty foods like chocolate or coffee.

送生意伙伴

[15]不管是要新開展業務關系，還是要鞏固已有的業務關系，一份品味高雅的禮物對發展和鞏固關系都會大有助益。

土建基礎施工中深基坑支護施工技術的應用…………………………………… 羅家盛，胡景娟，楊永昕（12-53）

刻字鋼筆——不管是你公司專屬的，還是刻有對方名字的鋼筆，都是非常實用的禮物，對方可以多次使用。

當地特色食品——家鄉特色食品既是一份不錯的禮物，又可以成為開場白，不失為一種最佳的初次見面禮物。

煙酒——我不喜歡鼓勵別人吸煙喝酒，但煙和酒很受歡迎，大多數生意人也都樂于接受。即使自己不喝酒、不吸煙，他們也可以轉送給其他吸煙喝酒的人。外國葡萄酒和烈性酒非常適合關系密切的生意伙伴。

Business acquaintances

[15] Whether you’re starting a business relationship or furthering an existing one, a tasteful gift will go a long way in developing and maintaining the relationship.

Engraved Pens—Whether it’s a nice pen from your company or engraved with the recipient’s name it’s a practical gift that will get used time and time again.

Local Snacks—Giving a food gift from your area is both a great gift and conversation starter. A great fi rst-time gift idea.

Cigarettes and Alcohol—I hate encouraging others to smoke and drink, but these are popular and well-received by most businessmen. Even if they don’t drink or smoke they can re-gift it to someone who does. Foreign wines or liquors go over well with close business associates.

贈禮禁忌

[16]出于文化象征意義，或因為有些字詞與一些不好的詞同音，有些禮物無論如何都要回避。

鐘表——在漢語中，“送鐘”與“送終”同音，而“送終”的意思是死者的家人完成了與埋葬死者有關的所有流程。

就因為這完全無關的兩件事發音一樣，送鐘表就成了無禮的行為。

菊花——菊花美麗動人，還可做茶，美味清香。但千萬不要把菊花作禮物送人，因為菊花常用在葬禮上。

Gifts to Avoid

[16] There are some gifts that should be avoided at all costs due to cultural symbolism or the fact that that word shares a similar pronunciation to something undesirable.

Clocks—In Chinese, the words that mean “to give a clock”, “送鐘”(sòng zhōng), has the same pronunciation as the phrase “送終”(sòng zhōng), which means that the family of a deceased person has completed all the tasks related to burying their loved one.

Due to the sound connection between these two unrelated things, giving a clock is in bad taste.

Chrysanthemums—These fl owers are lovely and can be made into a delicious tea, but you don’t want to give them for gifts as they’re often used for funerals.

傘——在中國，雨傘用來擋雨，太陽傘用來防止皮膚曬黑（沒錯，二者有區別！）。中國制造很多好看的傘，但傘不適合用作禮物。

Umbrellas—China makes some beautiful umbrellas—both the kind that protect you from the rain and the ones that keep your skin from getting dark (yes, there is a difference!)—but they’re not appropriate for gift-giving.

因為“傘”與“散”讀起來很像，所以送傘暗示著你和對方的關系可能會很快結束。

The word umbrella, “傘 ”(sǎn), sounds like the word “散”(sàn), which means to separate. Giving an umbrella symbolizes that the relationship between you and the recipient may soon dissolve.

鞋——不管那些閃閃發亮的高跟鞋和時尚別致的靴子有多好看，都不要買給你的中國女友！在中國人的觀念里，她可以穿著你送的鞋子從你身邊逃走，結束你們的關系，所以一定不要送鞋子。

Shoes—No matter how cute they are, do not buy those glittery heels or chic boots for your Chinese girlfriend! Shoes should be avoided because, as the thought goes, she could use them to run away from you, thus ending your relationship.

帽子——尤其注意不要送綠色的帽子，因為中國人用“戴綠帽子”形容妻子出軌的男人。

像我父母就特別想送給我公公一個綠灣包裝工隊的隊帽，讓他每天走路時戴著防曬，但是堅決不能送！

Hats—Green hats, speci fi cally, should be avoided because of the phrase “to wear a green hat”, or “戴綠帽子”(dài lǜ mào zi), which is used to express that a man’s wife is cheating on him.

As much as my parents would love to give my father-in-law a Green Bay Packers5綠灣包裝工隊，一支位于美國威斯康星州綠灣市的美式橄欖球球隊，其隊帽為綠色。cap to shade him from the sunshine on his daily walks, it’s a huge no-no6no-no不可做的事，不可接受的行為。!

數字4——如果是送現金，要避開帶4的數字，例如40或400，因為“四”讀起來像“死”。□

What You Should Know About Gift Giving in China

ByCharlotte Edwards-Zhang

The Number “4”—When giving cash gifts, avoid giving an amount that includes a four such as 40 or 400 since the pronunciation of four, “四”(sì), sounds similar to the word death, “死”(sǐ).

（譯者單位：北京航空航天大學外國語學院）